The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for producing a zoomed image signal from an input image signal,
Conventional techniques for enlarging the image represented by an image signal by synthesizing a zoomed image signal employ a linear interpolating filter or the like in order to produce pixels to be included in the zoomed image signal by interpolation.
The use of a linear interpolating filter to produce a zoomed image signal results in a loss of picture resolution at edge and boundary positions of the zoomed picture, so that the zoomed picture becomes blurred, This effect becomes more pronounced with higher zoom ratios.
Since it is the intent in zooming the picture to enable details of an object to be viewed, the loss of image resolution as a result of zooming is particularly problematic.